Alone and Together
by Dragon Elexus
Summary: A six-year-old Korra realizes that being the Avatar can be a lonely thing indeed. A twenty-six year old Korra recognizes that it doesn't have to be.


**Author's Note:** Little ficlet I wrote for a prompt given to me on Tumblr by redmoondreams for "Korra +Loneliness". Not beta'd or anything, just a chance to write a little bit of fluff. Hope you enjoy :)

 **Alone and Together**

Korra is bored.

'Only boring people get bored,' Dad always said, but Korra knows that's wrong. She is not boring. She is the opposite of boring. She is the **Avatar** , the most awesome person in the entire world. It's everyone else who's boring.

She had been all around the White Lotus compound that day, trying to find someone who would play with her. Anyone. But they were all "busy", apparently. Mom and Dad seemed to be busy all the time these days, but right now they were in a meeting with a bunch of the old White Lotus Masters, which seems to be the title you get given when you become super stuffy and serious. The only one of them that Korra actually really likesis Master Katara, who's super nice and likes to sneak her sweets, and knows all sorts of stories about the last Avatar. But right now Katara's in the healing tent, working on her brother, Chief Sokka, who's also really cool and funny, but spends a lot of time sleeping these days. Korra had tried to track down her other water-bending teachers, Yolla and Unay, and they hadn't seemed busy at all- they were just sitting at a table, talking.

"Not now, Korra, sorry," Unay had said, ruffling her hair. "We spent all morning together."

"That was training," the girl had complained. "Now I want to play. C'mon!"

The two adults exchanged looks.

"Sweetie, you gotta give us a break," Yolla said. "You were so good today that you've left us exhausted."

"But I'm boooorrreeeed," Korra moaned.

The two of them had suggested she go and practice some water bending sets, or maybe even some earth or fire bending. Or to try reading those scrolls Master Tenzin had left of his last visit. Or even to work on meditation.

But Korra doesn't want to do any of that. She loves bending, but she practices it every single day. And she's tried reading Tenzin's scrolls; they make no sense. And meditation is like the single most boring thing in existence, so **no**.

The girl sighs, and eventually decides to go for a walk on the compound's outer wall. She's been trying to get permission to go for walks outside the compound, but hasn't been successful, so for now this is the best she can do. It's a nice day. The sun's out, reflecting against the endless sheets of ice. The again, during this season of the year, the sun's always out, no matter the time of day.

She feels bad about it, but sometimes she wishes she still lived back in the city. There was always stuff to do there. You could go down to the docks and watch all boats come in, from the tiny, family owned ones pulling up the daily catch, to the massive barges hauling in shipments from all over the world. You could pester the shopkeepers for sweets. There were always other kids- you could play catch, or Cops and Robbers, or have a massive snowball fight.

She hasn't seen those other kids in almost a year. She's not sure she can remember their names.

With nothing else to do, the Avatar stands alone on the wall, staring out at the horizon.

oOoOoOo

"Korra, honey, are you ready? We have to go!" Asami calls into the washroom.

"Coming!" the Avatar hollers back, but forty seconds later, there's still no sign of her emerging. Asami sighs, and pushes the door open.

She finds the woman staring into the mirror, arms up as she desperately wrangles with the clasp to her necklace.

"Let me help," Asami says, sweeping towards her. Korra smiles with a mixture of gratitude and sheepishness, letting the other woman take the chain. The engineer notices Korra wince slightly as she lets her arms fall to her sides.

"Is your shoulder still bothering you?" Asami asks as she easily fixes the clasp on Korra's silver chain.

"It's fine," she replies, in a guarded tone.

"Korra," Asami says, in that way which only a wife can master. Korra looks down at the sink.

"It twinges a bit," the Avatar eventually admits. She got struck by an arrow in the shoulder last spring, and it was no big deal- the injury was very shallow, and was treated almost immediately, but sometimes, her arm aches where the wound was. "I've been treating it with water bending daily, you know that."

Asami frowns at her in the mirror. She looks beautiful despite the worry on her face. Tonight she's dressed in elegant greens and turquoise, the engagement necklace Korra created herself hanging around her neck. Asami doesn't usually wear it, since it's hazardous for engineering work, and doesn't match the reds of her normal attire, but she likes putting it on for more personal engagements. "I'm not sure you're able to reach the wound properly," she says, tracing a delicate finger over Korra' shoulder. "You should have another healer look at it."

"That not necessary-"

"Yes, it is," Asami insists. "Kya will be at the ceremony tonight. Let her see."

"Fine," Korra sighs, though a small smile plays at her lips. "Meelo's airbending ceremony. I can't believe it."

"I know, right? It feels like Jinora got her arrows just yesterday…"

Korra remembers. So much has changed, since then. They stand in contemplative silence for a moment, enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies.

"Alright," Asami eventually says. "We really do have to go." She firmly takes her wife by the hand and begins to lead her away. "We have to go pick Mako and Wu up."

"Huh?" Korra says by surprise, as she let's herself be pulled back into the bedroom, grabbing the wrapped gift they've gotten for Meelo. (She knows that airbending is all about 'letting go of worldly possessions' and stuff, but c'mon, this is Meelo. He deserves a gift.) "Why? They have a Satomobile."

"Somebody managed to break my superior engineering, so…."

"Right, right. Guess Wu can't just ride a badger mole to the island, huh?"

Asami giggles. They glide down the hall, and Korra puts a little more spring in her step. They can't keep their friends waiting.


End file.
